Let’s list the reasons for China board game production and China card game manufacturing: Price. If you can think of another, please let us know.

Paragon Packaging, Inc. continues to offer China game manufacturing, printing, and packaging because we recognize the importance of price. However, make no mistake; we encourage US companies to give consideration to US game manufacturing, printing, and packaging for many more reasons including, surprisingly, cost.

Consider this:

China plants control tooling, even if you’ve paid for it, forever. In other words, you own the tooling, but “It is not transferable.” That means, it’s yours, but it stays where it is. This is never the case in the United States. It’s not horrible; it just limits your options.

Freight costs are subject to peak season surcharges.

China game manufacturing lead times are approximately four weeks for tooling, four weeks for production, and about four weeks to receive product shipped on the water. That’s two to three times longer than local (United States) production.

That means two things to small and large US game companies: One, if utilizing China manufacturing they need to plan way ahead and order more inventory to make sure their orders are covered. Or, they need to order less product and risk leaving business on the table in the fourth quarter.

To us, what it means is that the “lower unit cost” for China manufacturing is fiction, not fact, because of the other costs, such as opportunity costs, carrying costs, and warehousing costs that are lost in the fray.

When you choose Paragon Packaging for your board game production, you get the best of either world you choose. We just want our customers to consider a different paradigm than the one they might believe. Give American game production your consideration. It may be less expensive than you think.

Paragon Packaging Inc.
www.paragonpackaging.com

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• What’s the difference between Frustration-Free Packaging and traditional packaging?
• What comes in the Frustration-Free Package? Do I get everything that’s in the traditional package?
• What other types of products feature Frustration-Free Packaging?
• Why aren’t there more products available with Frustration-Free Packaging?
• Why does Amazon usually ship a box inside another box?
• Why do I sometimes receive multiple shipping boxes for items that I ordered at the same time?
• What if I want to send this item as a gift?
• Does Amazon throw away the original retail packaging and re-box items in Frustration-Free Packaging before shipping them to customers?
• What is Amazon doing to reduce packaging waste?
• What else is Amazon doing to help the environment?

What’s the difference between Frustration-Free Packaging and traditional packaging?

The Frustration-Free Package (on the left) is recyclable and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging (on the right). Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box.

What comes in the Frustration-Free Package? Do I get everything that’s in the traditional package?

Yes, products in Frustration-Free Packaging are exactly the same — we’ve just streamlined the packaging.

What other types of products feature Frustration-Free Packaging?

We currently offer a selection of toys and consumer electronics products in Frustration-Free Packaging. It will take many years, but our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in Frustration-Free Packaging.

Check out our Packaging Feedback Program, where you can give us feedback and upload images about orders you’ve placed with Amazon.com.

We’ll use your feedback to improve Amazon.com’s packaging and work with manufacturers to provide more items in Frustration-Free Packaging. You can access the Packaging Feedback page through “Your Account” or simply go to amazon.com/packaging.

Why does Amazon usually ship a box inside another box?

A product’s original box often is not designed to be shipped directly to the customer. To ensure it arrives safely, we may place it inside another box. With Frustration-Free Packaging, the products have been designed to ship in their original containers directly to the customer.

Why do I sometimes receive multiple shipping boxes for items that I ordered at the same time?

The most common reason for an order containing multiple items to arrive in more than one box is when the products ordered are being sent from different locations.

What if I want to send this item as a gift?

Frustration-Free Packages ship in their original boxes, without an additional box for shipping. If you want the contents of your package to remain a surprise to the recipient, you should select the ‘Gift Wrap’ option during check out. Your gift-wrapped package will be sent in an additional Amazon shipping box. If you include a gift note but not gift wrap, your package will ship in its original box and the contents may be visible to the recipient.

Does Amazon throw away the original retail packaging and re-box items in Frustration-Free Packaging before shipping them to customers?

No. Instead, we work directly with manufacturers to box products in Frustration-Free Packages right off the assembly lines, which reduces the overall amount of packing materials used.

What is Amazon doing to reduce packaging waste?

Amazon’s efforts to reduce packaging waste don’t stop with Frustration-Free Packaging. For instance, we’ve developed software that determines the “right-sized” box for any given item based on dimension and weight. As a result, we’ve achieved a dramatic reduction in the number of packages shipped in oversized boxes, significantly reducing waste; our goal is to always have the product ship in the “right-sized” box.

Articles Source
www.amazon.com
Frustration Free Packaging

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Source: http://tsacarriers.org/pr_070709.html
TSA Lines Pursue Further Revenue Improvement in 2009

Rate pressures in a distressed market have led to contracts that threaten service levels and carrier viability.

Oakland, CA / July 7, 2009 - Container shipping lines serving the Asia-U.S. freight market say average rate levels achieved in the latest round of service contract negotiations are not sustainable over the typical 12-month 2009-10 contract term.

As a result, lines in the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) have adopted a voluntary guideline across-the-board increase of $500 per 40-foot container (FEU), with proportionate increases for other equipment sizes, to take effect August 10, 2009. The increase will apply to rates for all commodities and all U.S destinations. TSA carriers said they will also pursue full implementation of the quarterly bunker fuel charge, which adjusted upward on July 1 to reflect higher fuel prices. And they added that the planned GRI does not preclude the possibility of a peak season surcharge if the market measurably strengthens and extensive peak season costs are incurred.

TSA noted that 2009-10 contracts were negotiated in the midst of a severely depressed global economy, in which first quarter 2009 cargo demand from Asia to the U.S. was more than 20% below levels of a year earlier, and conditions during the second quarter have shown only slight improvement. Competitive pressures to keep services operating and avoid further costly vessel layups eroded even the minimum rate levels carriers tried to put in place in the trade in April. TSA reports a $1,000-1,200 drop in average revenue per container during the period from October 2008 through May 2009 alone.

“The eastbound transpacific trade lane has been driven by panic, and panic is difficult to stop once it has begun,” said W.W. Lee, Chief Executive for Container Liner Business at Hanjin Shipping, Ltd. “With 2009-10 contracting nearly completed, lines have had a chance to assess the damage. From an industrywide point of view the damage is serious, and if current rates are extended out over 12 months, it is likely that the trade will encounter significant financial challenges as well as basic service sustainability issues going forward.”

In certain cases, it will be necessary for lines to engage with shippers in a renegotiation of contracts that do not provide for some form of interim rate adjustment. TSA acknowledged that container lines should not have given in to pressure to match short-term, concessionary rates in the market at the time contracts were being negotiated. But the group also shared concerns voiced by customers in recent months that revenue deterioration would eventually lead to fewer lines operating at reduced service levels.

“Market forces will ultimately dictate how the current situation resolves itself,” said Evergreen Marine Corp. President Jack Yen. “In the end this is about the cost of maintaining a viable transportation and logistics service in a challenging market, and investing for the eventual turnaround. Transpacific carriers did not make a strong enough case in their negotiations for stabilizing revenue in the coming year. But the fundamental problems remain, as can be seen in carrier quarterly earnings reports and continued carrier and service consolidation.”

TSA is a research and discussion forum of major container shipping lines serving the trade from Asia to ports and inland points in the U.S.

Members include:
APL, Ltd.
China Shipping Container Lines
CMA-CGM
COSCO Container Lines, Ltd.
Evergreen Marine Corp. (Taiwan), Ltd.
Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd.
Hapag Lloyd AG
Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line)
Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (N.Y.K. Line)
Orient Overseas Container Line, Inc.
Yangming Marine Transport Corp.
Zim Integrated Shipping Services

Contact: Niels Erich
T: (415) 379.1414
F: (415) 358-4540
E: n.erich@comcast.net

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One of the documents you will receive from us, will be a board game manufacturing specification sheet we developed several years ago. We ask you to fill this out as concisely as possible and then either fax it to us, or scan it as a PDF and email it back. While many companies and individuals have already developed their own custom game specification sheet, it’s in everyone’s best interest that you fill out ours as it answers many questions about board game production that are invariably omitted otherwise.

Upon receipt of your board game specification sheet, we review the information and then call you to discuss any inconsistencies, or make recommendations based upon best board game production efficiencies and economies. Often, we’ll find sizes of game components such as game boxes, game boards, and game cards inefficient for game manufacturing pricing and the same with the quantities or style of game cards. Our goal is to work with you to make the best possible board game at the best possible price, and we base it upon the category that you are directing your marketing to.

One of the most seemingly obvious but overlooked areas of content is the size of the game box in relation to the game board especially, but to all other components in general. This is one area where our expertise in custom packaging comes into play. We consider the structural strength of the package as one of the principles of good packaging, and this applies to every product, especially a board game.

Try this test. Shake the game full with its contents. If anything is loose and flying around inside the game box other than an obvious component such as a piece bag, the board game is probably poorly packaged and should be re-examined.

Paragon Packaging Inc.
www.paragonpackaging.com

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• Board game production techniques
• Game Board style and sizes
• Game Card sizes
• Board game stock
• Board game graphic content
• Board game marketing and distribution
• Domestic and Asian manufacturing
• Consumer product testing requirements

Please keep up with our blog on board game manufacturing, turnkey game production, and custom packaging in the coming weeks as we’ll be providing information on these topics and others.

Paragon Packaging is the most experienced independent game manufacturing company in the world. We have produced board games for 25 years, and have manufactured custom packaging since our inception in 1922.

To learn more about board game packaging and or to get a quote on getting started with your game ideas visit our website at www.paragonpackaging.com.

Paragon Packaging Inc.
www.paragonpackaging.com

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• Pricing rises or falls exponentially with reductions or accelerations in volume, especially  with so many components involved in the consolidation of a board game.  Thus, at quantity levels below 2,500 games, it’s virtually impossible for anyone at or below the wholesale level, manufacturer included, to be profitable at a reasonable price point.
• It’s contrary to good business practice to manufacture board games or any other product at a loss without the assumption of future profitability.  If you’re starting a business, you must have enough conviction in the product to be able to take a leap of faith at a sensible volume in order to maximize the potential to do no worse than break-even.  In twenty-five years of manufacturing games, we’ve yet to see even one that was successful starting at a quantity level of less than 2,500 games.
• If there is not enough current interest in the product to warrant a reasonable starting order quantity, it’s too early in the cycle and thus, scheduling should be delayed until enough capital has been raised so that 1) The product can be marketed in accordance with a sound business model and 2) The investors understand and are reasonably comfortable that they could face a 100% loss. With that in mind, under standard retail pricing models, we recommend a production order of no greater than an additional 100% the amount of games that you absolutely know you can sell.
• Paragon Packaging has for years operated with an MOQ of 5,000 games.  We recently reduced this to 2,500 in recognition of the current economic uncertainty and the belief that many novice entreprenuers may have difficulty raising necessary capital or be less willing to roll the dice with their own nest egg.  Our primary interest is not in our own ability to obtain a manufacturing order for an unsatisfactorily low quantity, but in doing the best we can to partner with a company to achieve the greatest long-term success.  Frankly, there are companies that would love to take an order for 1,500, 1000, or even 500 games because it helps them achieve their own temporary goals of running their machines or adding to their own perception of their value proposition, such as a project’s companion graphic design work (again, there is no positive cash flow generated for anyone at such small volume, thus it stands to reason there must be other goals to support the negative value).  Long-term, this is a recipe for disaster, both for the customer and for the manufacturer as has been proven time after time.  Paragon Packaging, on the other hand, has an organizing principle of looking at the potential for success of every company or project, and doing the best we can unselfishly to have a hand in that future.  In other words, we are a growth company looking to work with other organizations that are looking to grow, and not be stifled.  (The caveat to the above paragraph is the strategy game market, products which are typically manufactured in smaller volumes for a market that is accustomed to accepting a higher price point than the average consumer would for a traditional board game).

We hope this makes sense and can be of some value to you.  All of us at Paragon Packaging wish you great success in all of your endeavors.  It would be our pleasure to work with you as your plans unfold.  Please understand that the opinions above are no guarantee of success nor failure, but are positions we would take if faced with some of the same decisions you may be encountering.

Paragon Packaging Inc.
www.paragonpackaging.com

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The Herbert brothers also are the owners of Jeezle Pete’s, makers of the new game, “Triviathon,” which Paragon Packaging proudly is manufacturing.

www.triviathon.com/

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

Paragon Packaging is already in the process of considering its testing policy and will release details to you as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please call us at 888-615-0065 or email info@paragonpackaging.com.

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Several things are upon us as companies await with enthusiasm the impending annual toy and game showcase. There is a great level of enthusiasm in this industry and Toy Fair is where it all comes out. The game industry typically does fairly well in periods of recession because people are more likely to stay home and play a game than go out to a show , movie, or dinner. So there is promise for game companies and you never know who may be the next “Trivial Pursuit.” It’s a time to exhibit, to lay out the business proposition, and make connections with people who will eventually be critical to your success.

Paragon Packaging recently attended the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco where attendance was impressive. Therefore, at Toy Fair we think there will be signifiicant opportunities. The exhibitor list is extensive and there are good educational opportunities. It’s the best Toy and Game Fair in the world and well worth the experience, even if you only attend as a visitor.

Paragon Packaging attends Toy Fair every year to introduce ourselves to new people to discuss our resources and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, we attend to support our current customers and the industry in general. It’s a good time for exhibitors and show visitors to establish new relationships or cement old ones with business partners whom they’ll need in the near and distant future. We are excited about appointments with companies that seek our expert advice and practical experience in the art of Board Game Production. We are especially respectful of exhibitors’ time, also mandated, since we realize the time and money spent, as well as the opportunity to exhibit, is significant.

Should you wish us to introduce ourselves, set aside time for an appointment, or simply reconnect to re-establish the value of partnering with Paragon Packaging, please call 888-615-0065 or email info@paragonpackaging.com . We will be happy to accomodate you. At Paragon Packaging, we believe the future is bright and inviting, and we will be delighted to share our experience, expertise, and enthusiasm with you.

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So, “Sustainable Packaging” is a whole world unto itself, and it’s wonderful that people are starting to pay attention to that world. It’s important to know that buyers and consumers are starting to think about this when making their buying decisions. And, it’s becoming more and more important for companies’ to make this distinction when addressing their product packaging requirements. It calls for more education and comprehension.

For example, there has been a push over the past half dozen years or so to utilize tins in game packaging. But, not only are tins more expensive than rigid paper boxes, tins are virtually indestructable whereas rigid paper boxes are constructed from a material known as chipboard, which is made from recycled paper, not “virgin” material. It’s one aspect we all ought to think about, and at Paragon Packaging we welcome your questions and comments.

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